We have received word from an official at HUD that the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program funding tool projected prorations have been revised based on the FY 2018 Omnibus that was recently passed. HUD has revised the projections to full funding for the HCV Housing Assistance Payments (i.e., a 100 percent proration) and a proration of 77 percent for the HCV administrative fee for calendar year 2018.
The HCV Two-Year Projection tool can be accessed on HUD’s HCV website here.
HUD has recently published several additional sources of information on Small Area FMR implementation. Recently published sources of information include the following:
Additionally, links are provided to the previously published Small Area FMR guidance and Small Area FMR HUDUser page.
All of these links and additional information on each these sources can be found on the HUD Exchange page here.
Yesterday, HUD’s Housing Voucher Financial Management Division sent an email stating that the CY 2018 Administrative Fee Rate Tables have been posted on HUD’s Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program page.
The CY 2018 Administrative Fee Rates Description can be found here.
The CY 2018 Administrative Fee Rate Tables can be found here.
The Office of Housing Choice Vouchers website (where the tables are posted) can be found here.
In a stipulated judgment filed on February 16, HUD has permanently set aside the Small Area Fair Market Rent (FMR) suspension. Last summer, using authority in the Small Area FMR regulation, HUD suspended the mandatory implementation of Small Area FMRs for 23 of 24 designated areas. Recently, a federal court found that HUD did not appropriately use its regulatory authority to suspend the mandatory components of the rule. In this document, HUD agrees to permanently set aside the suspension and continue implementing the Small Area FMR program on an expedited basis.
The full stipulated judgment and order can be found here.
Earlier today, HUD published a notice in the Federal Register titled “Fair Market Rents for the Housing Choice Voucher Program and Moderate Rehabilitation Single Room Occupancy Program Fiscal Year 2018; Revised.” The notice updates the FY 2018 FMRs based on new survey data for the following eight areas:
These eight areas requested reevaluation and provided data to HUD to allow for a reevaluation. The notice also responds to comments previously submitted.
The full notice can be found here.
Earlier today, HUD published a notice titled “Funding Availability for Set-Aside Tenant-Protection Vouchers – Fiscal Year 2017 Funding” (PIH 2018-02; H 2018-01). In it, HUD makes 5 million dollars available from the Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 Appropriations Act that the bill allocated for Tenant Protection-Vouchers (TPVs) for certain at-risk households in low-vacancy areas.
Major changes from the FY 2016 Funding Availability for Tenant-Protection Vouchers notice include the following:
NAHRO is still in the process of reading through this notice and will supply additional details to its members.
The notice can be found here.
HUD has posted a pre-publication copy of the “Allocations, Common Application, Waivers, and Alternative Requirements for 2017 Disaster Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery Grantees” notice. The notice is to be published in the Federal Register and will be applicable five days after being published.
As HUD’s summary states, “This notice allocates $7.39 billion in Community Development Block Grant disaster recovery (CDBG-DR) funds appropriated by the Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Requirements, 2017, for the purpose of assisting in long-term recovery from 2017 disasters. This notice describes applicable waivers and alternative requirements, relevant statutory provisions for grants provided under this notice, the grant award process, criteria for action plan approval, and eligible disaster recovery activities. Given the extent of damage to housing in the eligible disaster areas and the very limited data at present regarding unmet infrastructure and economic revitalization needs, this notice requires each grantee to primarily consider and address its unmet housing recovery needs.”
Breakdown of the $7.39 billion:
Congress continues to discuss additional supplemental distaster funding for the 2017 disaster. NAHRO is following these discussions and will share additional information as it becomes known.
Earlier today, HUD sent an email stating that HUD’s Oversight and Evaluation Division (OED)–in the Real Estate Assessment Center (REAC)–would be renamed the Inspection Standards & Data for Vouchers (ISDV) Division. The ISDV Division is the group within HUD running the UPCS-V (the inspections protocol which will be the successor to the HQS protocol in the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program) Demonstration. The email notes that the name change “serves to align the division’s name with [its] mission, culture, services and philosophy.” ISDV will strive to maintain a culture of transparency; streamline inspections, while maintaining accuracy; and increase owners’ and tenants’ ability to access information about their homes.
ISDV Division’s website can be found here.
HUD has published PIH 2018-01 (HA) titled “Guidance on Recent Changes in Fair Market Rent (FMR), Payment Standard, and Rent Reasonableness Requirements in the Housing Choice Voucher Program.” The guidance states that “PHAs are expected to have completed the implementation as expeditiously as possible and no later than April 1, 2018.” NAHRO will provide additional details on the guidance in the coming days.
The notice can be found here.
On Friday, HUD sent an email announcing a new list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) that responds to the new notice delaying the submission date for the local government Assessment of Fair Housing (AFH). HUD “strongly encourages program participants to visit [the FAQ].” The new notice can be found on the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) HUD Exchange webpage.
The FAQ can be found here.
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